Israel-Premier Tech 'shaken' by team time trial protest at Vuelta a España

The squad was riding in formation when, according to Impey, “a bunch of people just jumped out in front of us.” Several riders were forced to take evasive action, with George Bennett losing significant time as he was left at the roadside before rejoining.

“It was really upsetting for us as a team, upsetting for the riders. A lot of guys were shaken up by the incident. There’s not much more to say other than we were shocked by it," Impey said afterwards.

A group of six people bearing Palestinian flags and a banner spread across the road as Israel Premier-Tech approached. Police outriders cleared a pathway for the team through the protest.

The incident followed similar episodes at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France earlier this season, although those were less disruptive. In Figueres, the protest went further, blocking the road and affecting the outcome of the team time trial.

Impey estimated the team lost at least 30 seconds due to the disruption. “We spent time here last week, we came out to see the course, we reconned it and we put a lot of effort into it," he said. "So I’m feeling sad for the guys, but I’m equally proud of how we performed and of them for picking themselves up from a very difficult situation."

While Israel-Premier Tech acknowledged the right to peaceful protest, Impey underlined the danger of such actions when they intersect with a WorldTour peloton.

“Everyone has their title to their own opinions. That's fine. I mean, the, the part that really gets upsetting or difficult is when you're putting our lives at risk, and you're equally putting the, the protester putting their lives at risk as well. You know, when riders are coming at that speed,” he said.

Asked if he wanted more security, Impey stressed the difficulty of controlling a moving bike race. “The organisers have measures in place, but you can’t control everything. This is the first time, as far as I know, that this had a sporting consequence on the race.

Prior the Vuelta's arrival in Spain, the Izquierda Unida party had called on the Spanish government to ask the Vuelta organisation to exclude Israel-Premier Tech from the race due to Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza. Race director Javier Guillen has pointed out that the matter is not in his hands, as Israel-Premier Tech qualified for the race as a member of the UCI WorldTour.

According to Gaza health authorities and the United Nations, more than 58,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel invaded Gaza in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks, which killed more than 700 people.

Last week, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared that an “entirely man-made” famine is taking place in Gaza due to the Israel government’s refusal to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the region.

Following the incident, Israel-Premier Tech issued a formal statement: “Israel-Premier Tech respects everyone’s right to freedom of speech, which includes the right to protest peacefully, but we absolutely condemn the dangerous acts of the protesters on stage 5 of the Vuelta a España which not only compromised the safety of our riders and race personnel, but also the protesters themselves. 

"The team continues to work with race organizers and relevant authorities to ensure our safety at the Vuelta a España and all races, and ensure any protests do not impact our safety, nor our right to race.”

Despite the setback, Impey underlined that the team’s focus remains on the race. “Of course, we focus on what we’re here for: bike racing," he said. "We’ll have to reassess it as a team and have a discussion. Everybody needs time to think about it, time to let it sink in. I think the race also needs some time to reflect, and from tomorrow we’ll take it step by step. At the end of the day, we are here like every other team to try and win bike races. The guys work incredibly hard, and they deserve the chance to do that safely.”